One of the New York-iest things one can possibly do is actually…leave New York. To the Hamptons, that is! The Hamptons aren’t just for wealthy, well-connected WASPs, as I once naively believed. New Yorkers of all stripes go there summer after summer. It has a scene for almost anyone, and with the right planning and research, you’ll find yours too! As a California girl and […]

I celebrated my one-year anniversary of moving to New York City on April 29, 2017, and all I can say is holy s**t, that was the fastest year of my life. I’ve never learned so much in such a short amount of time – so much so that I decided to compile all of it into a monster list of 50 tips for this blog. […]

Soup doesn’t have to be made in giant batches and simmered in a crock pot for hours in order to be good. Sometimes you get home and just want to make some soup to eat that same night, maybe with a little bit leftover for lunch the next day. During the winter, I do this all the time. As I work on surviving my first ever East Coast winter this […]

Chocolate gets all the love during the holidays, but what about its sister vanilla? Hot chocolate in particular is a cold weather favorite, but I like to stir things up (figuratively and literally) occasionally by making hot vanilla instead. The best part is it’s only four ingredients, not to mention it can be made in the microwave. It even helps me get to bed on sleepless […]

Broccoli rabe, also known as broccoli raab or rapini, is an underrated vegetable here in the states. You’ve probably seen it in the grocery store before, but didn’t recognize it and went for the kale instead. But if you’re looking to experiment with new ingredients, as all cooks should, do yourself a favor and buy it this time. I adore broccoli rabe. It’s known for […]

Everyone deserves a lunch they look forward to all morning. For me, it’s this chicken salad. What makes it so crave-worthy is that it’s a little sweet, savory, crunchy, spicy and salty all at the same time. Every bite has a little something for everyone. It’s so flavorful that you can eat it on its own, which can’t always be said for chicken salad – […]

When it comes to pasta, sometimes I’m in the mood for red sauce and other times I’m in the mood for green sauce, i.e. pesto. The other night I was in a green sauce mood, and as I’m known to do, tried to think of a twist on the classic ingredients: olive oil, basil, pine nuts, garlic and parmesan cheese. I decided on what I […]

I’m a California girl at heart and always will be. I love my avocados, Mexican food, jean shorts, flowy tank tops with funky yoga sayings on them, flip flops, beach days, palm trees and of course sunshine. However, I spent most of last week in New York City for the first time in eight years and fell in love with it all over again. It […]

My roommate bought me a really cute mini cast iron skillet in Santa Barbara last weekend, and of course my immediate thought was “this will make SUCH a good dish for food photos!” I began thinking of a recipe to make in it, and the first thing that came to mind was baked mac and cheese. There are about as many mac and cheese recipes […]

Next to pasta, Middle Eastern food is my absolute favorite food on this planet. It’s the perfect balance of carbs, protein, veggies and spices that tastes comforting yet light. I also like that a lot of it happens to be vegetarian/vegan, since I’m not much of a meat eater. I eat it so much that I often wonder if I lived in the Middle East […]